The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-06-04
MAKING GOOD ROADS.
The Method Suggested bv Mncadam Un-
guertionabIy the Hest Tst Devised.

MakING GOOD NStOo.
Tho Method Suggested bv Macadam Un-
qucstionabIy the best Yer Devised.
Few people know how easily good
and properly macadamized road can be
made, or understand how excellent and
enduring such road is. A man who
thoroughly understands the system, and
sees It carried out properly. will make
better road with a few inches OF
broken stones than others will make
with three times the quantity of ma
terial, not to mention useless labor.
Macadam cared very little what sort Of
bottom he had to deal with, II 1t were
not an absolute morass, and he was not
often deferred by that. "For road"
he says, ait is not necessary to lay q
foundation of large stones, pavement,
etc.. as it is matter of Indifference
whether the substratum be hard or soft,
and If any preference is due, it is to the
latter" These statements look like
heresy compared with much that we
have read on road and Matchmaking,
but the great road-maker was right,
ucNeItilclcSSs TlTSb VI WHhICNCi
the bottom was like, he took care to see
that the ground had evenly settled be-
fore the stones were spread upon it,
that there might be no subsidencc in
any part afterward to cause inequali-
ties, a matter which is often overlooked.
When the roadway had to be cut and
leveled, large stones dug out of tho
ground, or any inequalities to be made
| up, the ground was afterward left to
settle before proceeding further with
| the work. In putting on the stones,
quite as much care was exercised.
The hardest stone in the district was
rocured-granite, flint or whinstone;
next, it was broken to the regulation
size-in pieces about an inch in diame-
ter, though rougher size will do; and,
lastly, the stones were not laid on the
road, but spread shovelful after shovel
full to the depth of from six inches to
ten inches, which was considered suffi-
cient for general highway traffic. The
road was made slightly higher in the
center than at the sides, to throw off
the water, rs the object was to form
an impermeable crust that would keep
the water from percolating to the
bottom, thereby rendering it soft and
causing it to work up, the necessary
drainage being, of course, secured in
the usual way. This is macadamizing
in the proper sense of the term, a
system which has nearly superseded
every other but it is the attention to
tritlcs in carrying it out that makes
perfect work. For example, many peo-
pie would attach little Importance to
the stones being broken or angular, and
be quite rs Indifferent about the mode
of spreading them on the road; YET
these are two of the most important
points. The use of water-worn stones
of the same size will not make a solit
crust, because they yield to pressue
their round surfaces offering little oil
no resistance; but it is different will
broken stones, which when of uniform
size, and clean and properly spread OF
the ground, set fast on the same prin
} ciple as that of an arch. have seel
roads made on an extensive scale OF
this system, and had to make such my
self, and have never seen any thin!
to equal them.
Walks, which are often cut out dee]
and filled in tho bottom with .larg
stones, may be made on Macadam'
principle with far less trouble and wit
, much better results. Broken stones, t
the depth of two inches or three inches
, will be quite sufficient, and they should
after being spread on, be beaten eve
on the surface with broad wooden ram
mers. This sets the crust effectually n
. the beginning. Afterward thin coat
ing of clean gravel should be sprea
upon the surface to hide the stones, bu
, no more. Such walk is smooth an
. firm, and comfortable to the feet in a
weathers; rain only washes it clean. an
,, frost has not the least effect upon it
the bottom be drained. The materia
i. holds no moisture to freeze; it is tn
: accumulation of soft gravel on the SUI
face of walks that freezes and render
. them so muddy and uncomfortabl
3 afterward. With us the stones AZ
. broken by machine to any size W
: want them.-Ihe Garden